The kids have been asking me to make Red Velvet flavour anything for a while now. When I got the invite to bake for the Calgary Food Bloggers Bake Sale I decided to add a little ‘wow factor’ to my portion of the bake sale. I’m not that big into cupcakes but I was willing to give these a go for charity. I think they turned out quite nicely PLUS I found some really cool cupcake boxes at Winners so I was excited to place them on the table.
I found this recipe online from whiskitforabiscuit (who basically used Martha Stewart’s recipe). She’s made many kinds of cupcakes so I figured she knew what she was doing. The recipe states that it makes 22 cupcakes which is a bit odd but is exactly how many I produced. Maybe I could have squeezed one more out to make 23 but as it happens my boxes held exactly four cupcakes leaving exactly 2 cupcakes as extras and two very happy kids!
First of all let me say I was unprepared for the batter carnage. Everything the batter touched became stained pink so I had to be extremely careful. I have a white porcelain kitchen sink which gets stained very easily so I had to do the all the dishes in my stainless steel laundry sink. The porcelain sink is definitely on the ‘to be replaced’ list. Who puts a white sink in a kitchen?
Making the batter calls for alternating dry and wet (buttermilk) ingredients then adding baking soda mixed in vinegar right at the end.
In they go!
Out they come!
The finished product ready for the bake sale.
Red Velvet Zebra spotting?
Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups cake flour (I used regular flour and used scant filled cups)
- 2 tbs good-quality cocoa
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups caster sugar
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 tsp Wilton’s red colouring gel
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp white vinegar
FOR THE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- 225 g unsalted butter; chopped and softened
- 340 g cream cheese; softened slightly
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2-3 cups icing sugar mixture (confectioner’s sugar)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 175 C (350 F). Line two cupcake trays with cases.
- Place the flour, cocoa and salt together and mix, then set aside.
- With an electric whisk or a stand mixer, beat together the sugar and the oil until combined.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating until each is fully mixed in.
- Beat in vanilla and red food colouring gel.
- Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in 3 batches, and the buttermilk in 2 (3 dry, 2 wet additions – begin and end with dry). Whisk well after each addition.
- In a separate small bowl, combine the baking soda and vinegar – it will foam. Add mixture to the batter, and whisk all together for about 10 minutes.
- Fill each cupcake case about 3/4 of the way.
- Place in oven for 10 mins, then turn tray around and bake for another 10-12 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.
- Cool in tins for 5 mins, then transfer to wire rack.
- Beat the butter and cream cheese together until pale and creamy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Gradually add the icing sugar to taste, I used just over 2 cups, but you might want more if you like it sweeter – it’s really up to you.
- Beat in the vanilla.
FOR CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
Notes
If you don't have buttermilk, add two teaspoons of vinegar to a cup of milk and let it sit for a bit.
I baked red velvet cupcakes on the weekend as well 🙂
Are you posting them?
I will soon…
Ooh love the cakes in their little cake boxes. I wonder if I could get them over here?
You should be able to find them somewhere…not sure where though. Winners/Homesense are two stores that I frequent a lot here. They are a mish mash of designer/home goods and often have really great deals on food items and paraphernalia. I missed them terribly when I lived in Perth.
Thank you 😀 I shall have a look around.